Suspicious wrote:
Not an ugly ape wrote:Malmo, if you're being serious, then I'll gladly accept the title of hobby-jogger. I can think of a few titles for people who drop out when they see it isn't their day...quitter is one of them.
When you're a pro or world class, dropping out or not finishing is completely different than for regular people. Money is on the line, health and safety are on the line, missed training time is on the line, etc.
But even for regular people, why is their an obsession with finishing? I think most people do it without knowing why they should or shouldnt.
I agree. Think of a football player pulled from a game due to injury so they can avoid damage, recover, play out the season for the team. Staying in has an air of bravery, but if anyone remembers the bravest race I ever saw (Bert Cameron of Jamaica qualifying for the LA Olympics final after pulling a hamstring in the first turn of a 400, losing perhaps 20 meters, but many think ending his prospects of high end 400 running for life). Even hobby joggers we don't track, don't know if they end their running days by pushing through an injury to finish a marathon.
Certainly Bekele being undefeated is harder to defend than a month ago, and if mentioned must be followed by something akin to a high altitude or illegal wind *, but his greatness was reinforced in Brussels nonetheless, and his dropping out at the WC may have been a moment of weakness, or a good choice given the day.
Visit Ethiopia sometime. Him preserving his professional career is more important than impressing us by finishing. Have to agree with Malmo and Suspicious on the wisdom of this generally by pros. Often a good coach has to be the one to reel in a brave athlete risking him or herself.
